McDonald Ministers Along I-80 Corridor In Oregon Trail Baptist Association
By Carolyn Gibbs
January 2012
Crossroads Church in Kearney, Nebraska is a winning hope ministry, and they continue to give hope to their community. Dave McDonald, Church planter/strategist for the Oregon Trail Association, continues to reach out to the Kearney community. “Crossroads Church has been constituted and we just ordained Pastor Dan Cole, that we raised up from within the church,” McDonald said. McDonald is now the Church’s mission pastor so he can continue the work he does.
That work is expanding into several different areas. McDonald started Palmer Bible Fellowship in Palmer, Nebraska. That new Church has also been constituted. “We ordained their pastor, Ralph Superdahl. I’m also working with Ralph in Aurora, Nebraska,” McDonald said. McDonald is trying to get another Church start off the ground called New Beginnings.
But perhaps the biggest project for him currently is a multi-housing project called Mission 87. This mission is targeting East Lawn Trailer Estate in Kearney. The park houses 350 trailers but there are no churches and no affiliations there, although there now is one Hispanic group just starting. “When we first talked to the manager, she said, ‘We’ve been praying for someone like you,’” McDonald said. “That gave us a good connection with the management.” McDonald was given a lot and a trailer. They re-did the trailer and use it for the ministries that are in place so far. “It uses the 12 steps, but it is designed for whatever people struggle with. It doesn’t just focus on drug addictions, but also relationship addictions or whatever they are struggling with,” McDonald said. “Right now our focus is on Bible study, the children, food pantry, and the Recovery for adults. Our goal would be a church here.”
Another new area of ministry for McDonald could be a Hispanic work in Grand Island and in Alta. It hasn’t been fruitful yet. “We will be having some men this summer do Hispanic missions. The challenge is to keep them around,” McDonald said. “We’ve had people come and some professions of faith, but it’s physically being there to follow up.” He is hoping to still pursue a Hispanic work in Grand Island. In the town of Alta (also in a trailer park) he said there was a great opportunity for a Hispanic work. “I’ve talked to the community leaders in Alta and they’d love to see something there,” he said. He especially wants to start an ESL (English as a Second Language) ministry.
McDonald said in all these opportunities come big challenges. “My biggest challenge is prioritizing which mission I put my time on. There is such need, so where do I put my time?” Another challenge is not having enough people. “We have the people who need ministry, we just need people in place to help,” he said. McDonald could probably find workers, but he can’t finance them. “Even if they fall in love with area and the people, it’s a huge sacrifice,” he said.” Sometimes that’s so overwhelming.”
There are blessings too. McDonald has the freedom to do what he’s called to do. “I am able to share the Gospel and have the opportunity to see people’s lives changed and see things develop.” McDonald said the one thing he needs is prayer, but not just for him. He wants people to understand the need for prayer for rural America. “We focus so much on urban, but my aspect, since I’m out here, is we’re an area people don’t think about,” McDonald said. “Yet, the need is just as great. It’s not just the cities that are hurting.” He said rural areas have the same drug problems, and family problems as urban areas. “There’s just as much darkness, and we need people to be aware of the rural communities and pray for them.”
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